Search Results

2019 < View Public Art Projects ALEX COUWENBERG : APOLLO 2019

Up The Rule of Progress Rob Grad Southern California native, Rob Grad, is known for his introspective, yet bold 3D collages, sculptures, writing, and music. His heavily layered visuals contrast photographic vignettes of natural and urban environments, with drawing, painting, and his words–an aesthetic largely shaped by his two decades living in Venice Beach, CA. Grad’s approach to using Joshua Trees in his work is largely metaphorical. He references a story of Mormons naming the trees, where they felt the branches were reaching to heaven. This work was inspired by a poem Grad wrote about progress, and how it can’t be measured with a line on a graph. He writes, “it’s a flailing, fussy, slobbery glob.” In this image, Grad is posing the question, what actually is “progress?” What is the benefit? And what is the cost? Lines and shapes move in and around the branches, suggesting how close our relationship is with our environment, even at great distances apart. But it is only the tree that touches the ground and has the ability to find water for nourishment in the barren landscape. The idea of nourishment can also be seen as a metaphor here, for nourishing our desires and our thirst for a better life and a better tomorrow. Is that in fact, what we are creating? Can society as a whole actually learn and grow from its missteps? Grad’s work addresses the existential issues of desire and fulfillment in a society inundated by technology, social media, and politics. His new work is increasingly influenced by his early career as a musician when he was signed to RCA records and appeared on MTV not long after graduating high school. He is a product of the “MTV generation,” which found its identity through a shared global experience before the invention of social media. It was a generation that invented itself as it went along. This ethos is a cornerstone of Grad’s studio practice, always pushing himself into new and uncomfortable territory in an effort to extract the extraordinary from the mundane. He has shown in museums, galleries, and art fairs from Basel to Miami, and Los Angeles. Recent exhibitions include the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA, and the Torrance Art Museum in Torrance, CA. He has commissioned work in the San Francisco airport, Hudson Pacific Properties, El Rancho Properties, the Zildjian corporate offices in Boston and Los Angeles, LA’s Griffin Athletic Club, and his work is held in private collections. Rob gave a TEDx Talk in Culver City, CA about authenticity in art and following the internal muse, and participated in a video project for TikTok China. He also writes a blog about his art practice called “Creativesphere,” and speaks to students in schools about the importance of learning to think creatively not only in art but to solve problems in today’s culture and society. January - June 2023 Back to list

The Other Way Around < Back Super A The Other Way Around May 14 - August 21, 2022 1/4 Previous Next Stefen Thelen, otherwise known by his anti-superhero alter-ego, Super A, is a Dutch artist who specializes in mural and studio paintings that use a hyper realistic and surrealist style. His alter ego was born out of his previous background as a graffiti artist and serves as a vessel for his more controversial interrogations of society — allowing for a more objective lens for his artistic analysis. Super A officially started his artistic career in 2004 but before then, he would work in amusement parks where he would gain first-hand experience in the creation of fantasy for the general public. This experience would inform his future work, working to unravel the distinction between reality and illusion. The tension found between two opposing ideas is a common thread seen within his work, namely his Trapped series. The Other Way Around is a continuation of this series and demonstrates the distinction between reality and the facade, revealing the truth behind the metaphorical mask. Stefan Thelen is a street and gallery artist based in the Netherlands who graduated from Graphic Lyceum in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Super A’s murals and works have been featured in galleries around the world including Germany, London, Paris, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, and the United States, among others. Super A’s mural was painted as part of Antelope Valley Walls! (formerly POW!WOW! Antelope Valley) in 2018. The mural is located at Lancaster Blvd in Lancaster, California.

< Back Brad Miller Brad Miller’s work draws inspiration from the fractal patterns of the physical world, which have been transformed into symbolic motifs across cultures for thousands of years. Miller’s practice explores archetypal patterns such as spirals, close-packing forms, and dendritic systems. The spontaneous fractal patterns that form in the physical world have always captured artist Brad Miller’s attention. Over time, he noticed that for thousands of years, several of these patterns have been internalized and transformed by people worldwide into content-laden symbols. One ever-present example is the variations of stylized spirals. They are seen on many objects throughout history: a Mimbres pot, Celtic tombstones, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and 5,000-year-old Chinese pots from Majiayao. With today’s technologies pushing the limits of seeing into and out to the edges of the universe, these familiar patterns constantly reappear. In his artistic practice, Miller explores several of these archetypal patterns, including spirals, close-packing patterns, and dendritic systems. Using diverse materials and processes including silver-gelatin photograms, pyrographic drawing, and ceramics, Miller infuses his work with these timeless and familiar patterns, as they dance between order and chaos. Previous Next

back to list Kelsey Brown

SOUTH BOUND NORTH BOUND SR 138 (SR 14) at Avenue M Interchange Community Engagement Project Southbound | Northbound , led by artist Dani Dodge , is a community engagement project that will inform the public art program for the slated Avenue M Interchange updates. The goal of the project is to understand current values and perceptions by Antelope Valley residents; assess the their views of the local ecology and technological innovation in the region; and build a lexicon that will guide the project with the future in mind. Residents can participate by submitting their photography, poetry and/or completing a short thought survey using the links above. Avenue M serves as the boundary between Lancaster and Palmdale, mostly known for its access to the California Poppy Reserve and the aerospace industry that has become synonymous with the region itself. In recent years, the route has symbolized an ideological boundary separating the two cities known to residents as “the cactus curtain.” New leadership, however, has encouraged the dissipation of such boundaries between the two cities, making way for a new frontier filled with opportunities for civic engagement between Lancaster and Palmdale, unifying the region as a whole. This openness has led to the development of Southbound | Northbound — a community engagement project inspired by the southbound and northbound lanes leading to and from the respective cities. The Cities of Lancaster and Palmdale have partnered together to commission the creation of two public art sculptures located on the Avenue M interchange of the southbound and northbound freeway on and off-ramps. With the help of the community, the goal of the project is to create sculptures that reflect residents’ view of the Antelope Valley, its two Cities, and the relationship between the two through a series of surveys and activation projects. This community engagement art project is born out of the City of Lancaster’s Art in Public Places initiative, a city program dedicated to commissioning, preserving and expanding public art in the community. Through the creation of original public art placed throughout the region, the City of Lancaster seeks to foster meaningful dialogue, augment cultural awareness, and improve the quality of life of Antelope Valley residents. *Are you an artist interested in submitting a public art proposal? Click here for more information on how to submit a request for qualifications (RFQ ). About Dani Dodge Dani Dodge is an artist who focuses on interactive art installations and public engagement nationally and internationally, including projects in Ireland and Greece. Her work that engaged the public at 2015’s LA Pride was named one of the outstanding public art projects of the year by Americans for the Arts. Many of her works have been focused on and in the Antelope Valley. In 2017, she led imaginative public art events in Lancaster and Palmdale to engage the community in a dialogue about the personal and public spaces in which we live. These included a project at the L.A. County Library in Lancaster where participants told Dani their life stories in 3 minutes and she created a title for them that was placed into a card catalogue, and later made into a book. Another public art event was held at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale. There participants wrote where they most wanted to travel to on paper, folded that paper into airplanes and flew through a painted horizon. The same year, her solo exhibition at MOAH:CEDAR invited people to write their childhood memories on wood blocks and hide them in a shoebox under a bed elevated from the ceiling. In 2019, she completed a yearlong residency in Lancaster’s Prime Desert Woodland Preserve that included monthly art activations. The art activations engaged the community in art projects such as illustrated haiku, cyanotype, and watercolor painting focused on the desert plants, animals and geologic features. Through her art, Dani works to create engagements that expand people’s understanding of themselves and their environment. Dani Dodge

< Return to Exhibitions Grand Opening 2012 Smooth Operations: Substance and Surface in Southern California Art The Painted Desert Ron_Davis Thatcher May 5, - August 18, 2012 Learn More May 5, - September 16, 2012 Indians, Gold Miners and Gunslingers Smooth Operations: Substance and Surface in Southern California Art Lancaster's Museum of Art and History opens its new dedicated space with "Smooth Operations: Substance and Surface in Southern California Art," an exhibition looking at the use of new and untraditional materials in the fabrication of art objects. "Smooth Operations" will concentrate on the postwar years in and around Los Angeles, when experimentation with such unorthodox, even radical materials and qualities led to the emergence of movements such as finish/fetish and light-and-space. Among the artist whose work will comprise "Smooth Operations" are Peter Alexander, Larry Bell, DeWain Valentine, Ronald Davis, Craig Kauffman, Judy Chicago, Mary Corse, Roland Reiss, John McCracken, Helen Pashgian, Tony DeLap, VASA, Norman Zammitt, Fred Eversley, Jerome Mahoney, Doug Edge and Terry O'Shea. The work of several younger artists who investigate the qualities of synthetic materials, including Eric Johnson, Lisa Bartleson, Andy Moses, Alex Couwenberg, Ann Marie Rousseau, Ruth Pastine, Phlip K. Smith, Gisela Colon and Eric Zamitt, will augment the main part of the exhibition. In effect, "Smooth Operations" will be the first post-Pacific Standard Time exhibition in southern California, opening only days after the official end of the Getty's vast historic initiative but continuing in the spirit o fthat initiative. Like PST, "Smooth Operations" examines aspects of modernism in southern California and their implications for contmeporary artistic practice and scholarship. The Painted Desert The Painted Desert represents diverse perspectives, interpretations and techniques addressing the dessert as subject. This show celebrates its artistic traditions both through process and concept. Paintings by artists Dennis Calaba, Cole Case, Todd Cooper, Jorg Dubin, Robert Dunahay, Smantha Fields, Richard Gallego, Kris Holladay, Christine Kline, Glen Knowles, Ellie Korn, Gregory Martin, Al Miller, Donnie Molls, Debbie Nelson, Ann Sly, Gerald Strangio, Sal Vasquez, Donna Weil and Andre Yi will grace the second floor of MOAH. Indians, Gold Miners and Gunslingers "In small things forgotten..." writes American archaeologist James Deetz, we remember our past. It is in the seemingly insignificant remnants of daily life that we can reconstruct teh history of a people. We can learn their values, derive their prosperity and visit the essence of their existence. In the beginning, Lancaster was a rough and tumble stagecoach and whistle stop thorugh the upper Mojave Desert for weary travelers on their way south toward the Los Angeles Basin or norht toward the San Joaquin Valley. Driving through the City of Lancaster today, it is difficult to imagine a time when Indians populated the landscape, gold mining was a profession and gun slinging was a means of survival. However, prior to 1930, a way of life in Lancaster, CA could be described as just this. Outpost, stagecoach stop, railroad stop, frontier—these are all words that described the area that would be Lancaster prior to 1930. Lancaster was part of the Old West. Come enjoy a brief look back at the people and industry of our predecessors, the things they left behind and the legacy they leave us. As you contemplate the history of Lancaster in the Old West the goal is that you will come away with an appreciation for what life wa like in the past and what it is today. The artifacts and photos of a time gone by seem to say, "Don't read what we have written, see what we have done". (James Deetz) Smooth Desert Gold View or Download the Grand Opening Exhibition Catalog by clicking on the cover image or here.

< Back Purple Sunset Atrium Alexis Mata Alexis Mata is a Mexico City based multimedia artist, whose digitally altered landscapes explore the complexities of reality, perception, and beauty. His work investigates the ways in which technology distorts and enhances our understanding of the natural world, creating imagery that is both familiar and surreal. Purple Suns et portrays the desert flora surrounding Mexico City, evoking narratives of place and personal identity. Blending traditional oil painting with digital editing techniques and the use of artificial intelligence, Mata’s work explores the tensions between classical modes of representation and contemporary technology. This juxtaposition of realism and digital abstraction challenges viewers perception of authenticity and illusion. Through his hallucinatory compositions, Mata highlights the evolving relationship between technology and the environment. Previous Next

< Return to Exhibitions Holiday 2012 Ann Marie Rousseau: Sight Lines sight lines jennifer-glass-cyanotypes_edited Accatino Collection 3 Kokeshi&Totem veritas300 Learn More December 6, 2012 - March 2, 2013 September 29, 2012 - January 1, 2013 Jennifer Glass: Cyanotypes December 6, 2012 - January 19, 2013 Madonna and Child: Selections from the Accatino Collection Kokeshi and the Totem: The Art of David and Kazumi Svenson Gary Baseman: The Seven Sacred Magi Winter Wishes: Letters to Santa Madonna Glass Totem Winter Rousseau Jennifer Glass: Cyanotypes Cyanotype Greek: kyano (blue; dark blue) + Greek: typos (type or form; print) English 1835-1845 Jennifer Glass captures moments in the life of women through her cyanotypes of vintage gowns. Selected from her private collection, these gowns are reproduced as cyanotypes through a process that the artist sees as a deeply metaphorical statement on the roles of women, politics, power, and fashion. Specifically, this body of work emphasizes the artist’s affinity for fashion as a polarized narrative. The large-scale reproductions are strong in their Prussian blue impressions while fragile in their ghost-like translucency. Glass explains that her connection to the world of fashion elicits a “strong emotional response to how [fashion] may either empower or constrain a woman depending on how she uses it”…she continues: “fashion has been used as a tool by women for years and although it has confined them in many ways, it also has liberated them…these garments belonged to someone.” Glass notes that although the women who wore these garments are now gone, in their time they danced, brought about new life, felt pleasure and pain, and likely changed policy, leaving their own imprint on the world however large or small. Glass’ prints are created through the deceptively basic methods of light exposure and chemical preparation on fabrics. The cyanotype was pioneered in 1842 by Sir John Herschel as a photographic method to quickly duplicate technical drawings that are normally time-consuming to draw and reproduce. Herschel discovered that when iron salts react with sunlight they leave a permanent blue imprint. When paper or porous fabric is treated with a solution of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, almost any image may be reproduced if it is drawn on a transparent surface, placed over the photosensitive paper in a darkroom and then exposed to sunlight. The areas of the photosensitive paper (or canvas/fabric) that are concealed by the lines of the drawing remain white while the exposed areas turn into an insoluble blue, resulting in a reverse silhouette. In 1843, shortly after Herschel developed the cyanotype, his friend and colleague Anna Atkins, a recognized botanist, utilized the cyanotype method to catalogue her extensive botanical collection. By placing her algae specimens on the photosensitized paper, she created the first known volume of cyanotype photograms. Atkins went on to self-publish her cyanotypes in her book: Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. Atkins published three volumes and only seventeen copies were reproduced. As a photographer, Jennifer Glass is carrying on this tradition in contemporary times, a method that has gone underutilized since the advent of digital reproductions. A Florida native, Jennifer Glass earned a Bachelor of Art degree in Social and Political Science from Florida State University. Glass went on to study photography at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale along with taking workshops in New York with well-regarded photographers Debbie Fleming Caffery and Mary Ellen Mark. Glass currently resides in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ann Marie Rousseau: Sight Lines Ann Marie Rousseau is a photographer, artist and writer formerly of New York City and currently living in southern California. She works with photography, painting and drawing on paper. Rousseau has a deep interest in line in all its manifestations - drawn, painted, photographed. Madonna and Child: Selections from the Accatino Collection The Museum of Art & History is proud to present an exhibition showcasing Madonna and Child paintings from the Tom and Christie Accatino Collection. Dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the selections feature Madonna and Child paintings from Russia, Ukraine, and Spanish Colonial origins. The Accatino’s are regional collectors, based in Riverside and Palm Springs, whose eclectic tastes range from California landscape painting to Asian artifacts. They have a particular interest in certain themes and approaches associated with the Old Masters, and over the past few years have amassed a group of portraits, still lifes, and religious subjects by various painters – many still unidentified – working in the Baroque and classic styles prevalent in their day. The selections here are in honor of the holidays and include a range of treatments of the Madonna and Child subject. Kokeshi and the Totem: the Art of David Svenson and Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson David Svenson and Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson are mixed-media sculptors based in the High Desert of southern California. They both share an affection for folk art traditions, in particular the kokeshi: wooden Japanese dolls, and the wooden totems of Pacific Northwestern tribes. This exhibition highlights the Svenson’s traditional kokeshi collection and its influence on David and Kazumi’s mixed media work, which includes hand blown glass, neon, wood and concrete. Through their artwork and teaching, David and Kazumi are helping to keep folk art traditions alive by sharing their collection with the public and creatively interpreting the kokeshi and the totem through contemporary art-making methods. Although the couple shares an affinity for folk art traditions and sculpting with glass, neon and mixed-media, they come from very different backgrounds. David Svenson grew up in the 1960’s among the many contrasts of southern California. He was surrounded by the flashy neon signage of historic State Route 66 standing out against the vast expanses of citrus groves that dominated the landscape at the time. David recalls the contrast of multicolored light emanating from the neon signs against the darkness of night as an important impression on his aesthetic development. David subsequently left California to study Tlingit art and culture in Alaska where he witnessed the breathtaking displays of the Aurora Borealis. Having a similar effect on his aesthetic development, the use of light became central to his studio practice. While working with the tribes, David was equally influenced by the way of life practiced among the Tlingit families that adopted him into their clan. There, art and life are intertwined in daily interactions and the overarching respect for life is honored through the arts and gift-giving. Totems are always made for someone else, to honor another family or clan. David recognizes kokeshi and totems as fine craft, and sees kokeshi as similar to the Pacific Rim totems because they both honor the family and the spirit of gift-giving. In addition to his studio practice, David teaches at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and has taught classes at the Pilchuck Glass School, in Seattle, Washington; the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York; Urban Glass in Brooklyn, New York, and internationally. He continues to work periodically with a team of Alaska Native totem carvers. Learning, teaching, and sharing skills and knowledge about glass, neon, art and the cultures of the Pacific rim are central aspects of David's life and work. Kazumi Kobayashi Svenson was born in Sendai, Japan, the heart of kokeshi country. She creates miniature kokeshi as well as drawings and sculpture. Kazumi’s interest in kokeshi began while growing up with her mother’s traditional kokeshi collection, which consists of wooden dolls made in the 1930’s of Japanese maple, Cherry or Dogwood. The family collection contained examples from Onsen, an area in northern Japan renowned for its hot springs and kokeshi workshops that lined the streets offering the dolls for sale to tourists and locals. Traditional kokeshi are meant to honor the loss of a child or simply be given as a souvenir to bring happiness to the home. The floral and linear patterns painted on their kimonos have been developed and passed down through generations of kokeshi craftsman and are distinctive to the area where they are made. The 2011 Fukushima earthquake was centered in kokeshi country, a devastation that has taken an additional toll on keeping the tradition alive. Kazumi works in the relatively new “Creative Kokeshi” style which developed after the second World War as a departure from traditional doll making. Although many Creative Kokeshi retain the traditional limbless body, contemporary interpretations often show a more shapely body and additional features such as hair and perhaps a more colorful and exquisitely patterned kimono. The features, materials, and styles of Creative Kokeshi are always unique to their creator. Kazumi utilizes glass as her choice of material and creates in a range of scales from tiny dolls made of individual hand blown glass beads to the larger Italian glass and neon pieces. Because the traditional method of creating kokeshi was by lathe turned wood, it converts easily to glassblowing due to the similar methods of turning the material either by a blow pipe or in using a mandrel for bead-making. She often places her Creative Kokeshi miniatures in a mixed media ensemble of neon and old boxes, perhaps referencing her move to America and symbolically bringing the childhood collection with her. Kazumi recalls that the experience of coming to America afforded her the opportunity to see her own culture from a new perspective and allowed her to translate the traditional art form into her own visual language. Kazumi has been blowing glass for twenty two years as well as teaching the craft in Japan. She first began studying neon in the United States in 1994 and has continued combining neon with glass and exhibiting internationally. Gary Baseman: The Seven Sacred Magi MOAH is honored to bring the artwork of multitalented and internationally celebrated artist Gary Baseman to the Antelope Valley. Born and raised in Hollywood, the artist crosses many disciplines as a painter, illustrator, video and performance artist, animator, TV/movie producer, curator, and toy designer. His artwork captures the bittersweet realities of life: playful yet vicious, naughty but nice and always telling a story layered with the pleasures and pain that life brings across generations. Winter Wishes: Letter to Santa This charming exhibition showcased letters and drawings to Santa inside paper snow globes from local Antelope Valley school children. Baseman View or Download the Holiday 2012 Exhibition Catalog by clicking on the cover image or here.

Experiences Hotels & Restaurants N ear MOAH Marriott Residence Inn Settle in at Residence Inn Lancaster, our extended-stay hotel located two miles from downtown. Built on a mixed-use space, the brand-new hotel places you near upscale apartments, trendy restaurants and bars, and of course, MOAH. (Click the link below to book, at a discounted rate.) Learn More Best Western PLUS Desert Poppy Inn Settle in at Best Western Desert Poppy Inn Lancaster, our hotel located two miles from downtown. The hotel offers c omplimentary daily breakfast buffet, an open b ar in evenings (Mon-Fr i, 5 PM-9 PM), h igh speed internet access, m ini refrigerators and microwaves in each room, an o nsite business center, a f itness center, a Sundry shop, and an o utdoor pool and spa. (Click the link below to book, at a discounted rate.) Learn More Destination Lancaster Destination Lancaster is the official tourism bureau and destination marketing organization for the Antelope Valley. They help promote local attractions, special events and unique experiences found throughout the AV. Visit their site to help plan your night out in Lancaster. Learn more Don Sal's Delicious Mexican food prepared with love. This restaurant is a family and community favorite and we believe one of the best Mexican restaurants in the Antelope Valley (Yelp agrees). Learn More > Things To Do Near MOAH Sassy Bird Specializing in Nashville-Style hot chicken, Sassy Bird is a Lancaster staple. Enjoy a Sassy Sando or one of their delicious sides. Learn More > Modern Tea Room "A modern take on an ancient beverage." Modern Tea Room offers a wonderful assortment of hand-crafted and artisanal teas and cafe-style sandwiches. Something for everybody. Learn More > Lucky Luke Brewery Lucky Luke's focuses on the art of quality craft beer and the great people brought together by it. They brew their beers with a passion for every element and process that brings these hand-crafted beers to your palette. Learn More > Bravery Brewing Founded in 2011, Bravery Brewing is a micro-brewery that crafts adventurous, memorable, and delicious beers for their community. Learn More > Complexity Wine Complexity Wine has let their love of wine and quality ingredients lead them down a ten year journey into learning and enjoying everything wine has to offer. Learn More > Olive's Cafe Olives Mediterranean Café makes customers’ satisfaction a priority in our daily cooking, serving, and catering needs. Dine in, take out, or have it catered straight to your home or office. Learn More > FloraDonna's Cakery In 2018, FloraDonna's opened up their very own shop on Lancaster Blvd. They provide wonderful baked goods for their customers. Learn More > Caramel Pastries Establishes in 2006, Caramel Pastries provides a wonderful selection of hand-made baked goods and sweets. Learn More >

Rentals Create memories at MOAH. Booking one of our marvelous spaces for your special event. PLEASE NOTE: We are pausing rental requests until January 5, 2026. We appreciate your patience and look forward to working with you in the new year! Stylish, spacious, and unique! Imagine the possibilities of your next event at one of 4 rental venues at MOAH! Our Spaces Museum of Art and History - Entire Museum* * No food and drinks are allowed in the galleries - Lantern Room with Terrace - Classroom CEDAR Center for the Arts Hall Prime Desert Woodland Preserve Pavillion Western Hotel Museum Garden For more info, contact our Rentals Coordinator at moahrentals@cityoflancasterca.org CEDAR Center Hall Prime Desert Woodland Preserve Pavilion Western Hotel Museum Garden MOAH Rooftop Terrace MOAH Lantern Room View or Download the Facility Rental Application by clicking here . Apply Visit the link before to see frequently asked questions regarding rentals. Rental FAQ

YAW Sign-in Welcome to Young Artist Workshop! Please sign in to help us track our attendance and improve your experience. Guardian First Name Guardian Last Name Age(s) of child(ren) Email Zipcode Phone Mobile Carrier Choose an option I want to subscribe to the newsletter to learn about Exhibitions & Community Art Projects, Activities for Kids & Families, and Free Community Events I agree to receive SMS Text Messages from the Museum of Art and History. Submit Thanks for registering.